a. A return to formerly enjoyed status or prosperity: The film star made an unexpected comeback.

b. A return to popularity: Wide ties are making a comeback this year.

2. The act of making up a deficit, as in a contest or game.

3. A reply, especially a quick witty one; a retort.

So yes, it is inaccurate to say that diseases such as measles can't be on a comeback. "Dr." Heimer seems to think a comeback is reserved for things that are dead, like Zombies or the cat from Pet Semetary. However, we can see from a simple definition that a comeback actually refers to a resurgence.

So. I am in the process of de-bunking the misinformation of Megan Heimer in her article about keeping our hands off her vaccine exemptions.

It is pretty overwhelming as there are so many problems and so many fact- and source-checks to do, so I have only gotten to one of the sources. I picked one at random: she includes a graph from an anti-vaccine book by author Neil Z. Miller.

Here are a few things about Neil Miller. He is neither a statistician, biologist, immunologist, or MD. He is a journalist. A self-employed journalist. And his book, a manual on vaccination? Is self-published. He started an anti-vaccine organization called Thinktwice. ThinkTwice owns Atlantean, which is the publisher of the book. You can verify that on his own CV here. www.icimed.com/Conference_CVs/Buffalo/Neil_Z_Miller_CV_Bio.pdf

In that same self-written bio, he himself states he does not counsel people to skip vaccines.

Moreover, Mr. Miller's credentials only include a BA in psychology from College of Santa Fe. He has no background in science or medicine whatsoever and no higher education. His talents are limited to being an astute businessman and making his name known.

In this book, on page 27 (which is the same page featuring the chart Megan Heimer cites in her nonsense article) he attributes a quote to the WHO that "the chances are about 15 times greater that measles will be contracted by those vaccinated against the disease than by those who are left alone." The WHO never published this. In fact, the actual source is a book in 1984 by an anti-medicine doctor-turned-maniac named Robert Mendelsohn. Wikipedia tells you evvvvvverything you need to know about him: "an American pediatrician who criticized his profession, inveighing against pediatric practice, obstetric orthodoxy and the effect of the preponderance of male obstetricians, and vaccination. He also criticized water fluoridation, animal testing, coronary bypass surgery, licensing of nutritionists, and the routine use of X-rays among other health issues." (Terrifying: he graduated from University of Chicago med school in the 50's and was also in charge of licensing physicians in IL.) However, this guy also stated "Doctors complain that quacks keep patients away from orthodox medicine. I cheer!" So, yeah. This is the guy that Neil Z. Miller took a quote from and attributed it to the WHO. And Neil Z. Miller is one of the sources in Megan Heimer's misinformed article.

As for Miller's book that Megan cites, it claims to be an objective evaluation of evidence while simultaneously calling vaccines a "witch's brew" and using other loaded, inflammatory language.

I am baffled that Miller has published at the ncbi.nlm.nih.gov site. This is how he and his co-author identified themselves there: "Independent researcher, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA" and "Gary S Goldman, Independent computer scientist, Pearblossom, California, USA."

Here are highlights from the article about Eisenstein. 1. his suburban Chicago practice, currently known as Homefirst, garnered an alarming record: It was on the losing side of one of the largest U.S. jury verdicts -- $30 million -- ever awarded to the family of a newborn in a wrongful-death suit. In court records dating back three decades, the families of dead and brain-damaged children repeatedly alleged that doctors who work for Eisenstein made harmful mistakes -- sometimes the same error more than once. His practice also has been dogged by accusations in court records that its offshore malpractice policy was phony.

2. He treats autistic children with Lupron, an injectable drug sometimes used to chemically castrate sex offenders. Top endocrinologists and autism experts have dismissed the treatment as junk science. Eisenstein is not board-certified in any of the specialties relevant to autism and the use of Lupron, including pediatrics, endocrinology, neurology and psychiatry.

3. He has pitched vitamins, books and even a group health plan to his patients. His latest don't-miss-this deal: vitamin D3 and probiotic treatments to prevent swine flu -- "A $71 value, YOURS FOR ONLY $39." In Eisenstein's view, vitamin D has amazing powers, even when it comes to autism. In a recent presentation, he summarized his advice to parents succinctly, "No Vaccine and More Vitamin D = No Autism."

4. Eisenstein's practice has faced at least 19 malpractice cases in the last three decades, and two Homefirst doctors were involved in 15 of those cases -- more than what's typical. In 80 percent of the cases involving those two doctors, a jury either sided with the plaintiffs or the cases were settled, court records show. (he's a homebirth advocate, yay)

So to recap, this dangerous person co-authored an anti-vax book with Neil Z. Miller, a non-doctor cited by non-doctor Megan Heimer in her article that spreads dangerous misinformation from both dangerous and misinformed sources. You can tell a lot about people by the company they keep.

I trust that an examination of source credibility here helps to illuminate one of the many reasons I maintain that this woman's claims are not grounded in science or fact and that they constitute misinformation. It can no longer be stated that I am interested in personal attacks but rather an intellectual challenge and am acting in the interests of public health.

Remember that this is information evaluating the credibility of a single source in her article. I have not even gone down the cesspool that is the rest of that article.

Post by KateAggie on Apr 15, 2014 13:21:27 GMT -5

When evaluating data from VAERS, it is important to note that for any reported event, no cause-and-effect relationship has been established. Reports of all possible associations between vaccines and adverse events (possible side effects) are filed in VAERS. Therefore, VAERS collects data on any adverse event following vaccination, be it coincidental or truly caused by a vaccine. The report of an adverse event to VAERS is not documentation that a vaccine caused the event.

Post by epphd on Apr 15, 2014 13:35:46 GMT -5

I think it's awful funny for someone who says that medical degrees are not needed to be educated to (1) reference her own "training" so extensively and (2) cite medical professional organizations. I won't indulge in arguing with someone who doesn't have the willingness or aptitude to take part in the scientific method/process. Her amateur attempts at "research" simply don't empower her to argue effectively OR (more important) objectively consider deviating from her a priori selected position if facts or evidence compel her to do so. It's a waste of time.

The only thing I would ask is if she would consider putting her children on an airplane she built herself with instructions only from the interwebs - or if maybe she can concede (doubtful) that specialty training (whether it be in aeronautics, engineering, law or medicine) really DOES make a professional MORE skilled and knowledgeable than an internet hack.

Post by msmerymac on Apr 15, 2014 13:55:09 GMT -5

"In the last few weeks I have seen articles blaming “anti-vaxxers for measles outbreaks,” referring to us as loonies who have brought measles back from the brink of eradication (of course we’ll pretend that measles didn’t hit an all-time high of 222 cases in 2011 and that their weren’t 54 cases in 2012, and 189 cases in 2013)."

The all-time high for measles cases in the US was certainly not 222 cases per year, as implied. In fact, over the last 60 years, the high appears to be 775,000 cases of measles, in 1964, prior to routine vaccination. There are 375 this year, already double last year's number. (That's also not to say that anti-vaxxers are ONLY causing this year's outbreak - there have been minor outbreaks for years, and the anti-vax movement isn't new.)

Prior to the vaccine, 90% of Americans contracted measles before the age of 15. On average, 542,000 cases were reported annually in the late 1950s. On average, 450 cases per year were fatal. "Nevertheless, in the late 1950s, serious complications due to measles remained frequent and costly. As a result of measles virus infections, an average of 150,000 patients had respiratory complications and 4000 patients had encephalitis each year; the latter was associated with a high risk of neurological sequelae and death. These complications and others resulted in an estimated 48,000 persons with measles being hospitalized every year."

"A resurgence of measles occurred during 1989–1991, again demonstrating the serious medical burden of the disease. More than 55,000 cases, 123 deaths, and 11,000 hospitalizations were reported. Two major causes of this epidemic were vaccine failure among a small percentage of school-aged children who had received 1 dose of measles vaccine and low measles vaccine coverage among preschool-aged children."

Post by KateAggie on Apr 15, 2014 13:59:37 GMT -5

"In the last few weeks I have seen articles blaming “anti-vaxxers for measles outbreaks,” referring to us as loonies who have brought measles back from the brink of eradication (of course we’ll pretend that measles didn’t hit an all-time high of 222 cases in 2011 and that their weren’t 54 cases in 2012, and 189 cases in 2013)."

The all-time high for measles cases in the US was certainly not 222 cases per year, as implied. In fact, over the last 60 years, the high appears to be 775,000 cases of measles, in 1964, prior to routine vaccination. There are 375 this year, already double last year's number. (That's also not to say that anti-vaxxers are ONLY causing this year's outbreak - there have been minor outbreaks for years, and the anti-vax movement isn't new.)

Prior to the vaccine, 90% of Americans contracted measles before the age of 15. On average, 542,000 cases were reported annually in the late 1950s. On average, 450 cases per year were fatal. "Nevertheless, in the late 1950s, serious complications due to measles remained frequent and costly. As a result of measles virus infections, an average of 150,000 patients had respiratory complications and 4000 patients had encephalitis each year; the latter was associated with a high risk of neurological sequelae and death. These complications and others resulted in an estimated 48,000 persons with measles being hospitalized every year."

"A resurgence of measles occurred during 1989–1991, again demonstrating the serious medical burden of the disease. More than 55,000 cases, 123 deaths, and 11,000 hospitalizations were reported. Two major causes of this epidemic were vaccine failure among a small percentage of school-aged children who had received 1 dose of measles vaccine and low measles vaccine coverage among preschool-aged children."

Post by mx on Apr 15, 2014 14:20:59 GMT -5

I wish I had a photo of myself awkwardly holding my left arm up. That's my vaccine injury--one that lasts for about 48 hours of mildly uncomfortable stiffness every time I get a typhoid vaccine. I do think I may have a photo of my gingerly doing push ups a few hours after my flu shot this year, you can really tell that I'm favoring my right side.

I would post a photo of typhoid but I think I've already posted enough about diarrhea for today.

Post by ttt on Apr 15, 2014 14:23:01 GMT -5

I wish I had a photo of myself awkwardly holding my left arm up. That's my vaccine injury--one that lasts for about 48 hours of mildly uncomfortable stiffness every time I get a typhoid vaccine. I do think I may have a photo of my gingerly doing push ups a few hours after my flu shot this year, you can really tell that I'm favoring my right side.

I would post a photo of typhoid but I think I've already posted enough about diarrhea for today.

Post by origami on Apr 15, 2014 14:57:23 GMT -5

"And yet, we’re also to blame for the whooping cough outbreaks occurring in almost exclusively vaccinated populations who were vaccinated with an ineffective vaccine that makes one an asymptomatic reservoir for disease. According to the CDC, “the number of reported pertussis cases has been steadily increasing since the 1980s.” According to the New England Journal of Medicine, even after five doses of Dtap a person’s chance of acquiring pertussis increases 42% per year."

From "Dr" Heimer's own link: Pertussis is a worldwide, cyclic infection. Before widespread vaccine coverage, up to 270,000 cases of pertussis were diagnosed in the United States annually, with as many as 10,000 deaths per year, predominantly among infants. . .In the 2010 pertussis outbreak in California, a longer time since receipt of a fifth dose of DTaP was associated with an elevated risk of acquiring pertussis among children who had received all recommended acellular pertussis vaccines. In this study, the risk of pertussis increased by 42% each year after the fifth DTaP dose. If DTaP effectiveness is initially 95%, so that the risk of pertussis in vaccinated children is only 5% that of unvaccinated children, then the risk would increase after 5 years by a factor of 1.425 to 29% that of unvaccinated children. The corresponding decrease in DTaP effectiveness would be from 95% to 71%. The amount of protection remaining after 5 years depends heavily on the initial effectiveness. If the initial effectiveness of DTaP was 90%, it would decrease to 42% after 5 years. Regardless of the initial effectiveness, the protection from disease afforded by the fifth dose of DTaP among fully vaccinated children who had exclusively received DTaP vaccines waned substantially during the 5 years after vaccination.

It's not news to educated people (actually educated people) that the effectiveness of vaccines decreases over time. That's why we keep harping on booster shots and having as many people vaccinated as possible. It's absurd to claim that because a vaccinated child's risk of contracting the disease starts off very small and increases somewhat over time, that's better than having an extremely high risk that continues throughout one's life.

From the CDC:"The incidence rate of pertussis among infants exceeds that of all other age groups. ... The majority of deaths occurred among infants younger than 3 months of age."

The waning effectiveness of the pertussis vaccine doesn't make the news b/c it's not news. The vaccine, and its 95% effectiveness rate, coincides with the time period in which humans are most vulnerable to the disease. It's not necessary to maintain a 95% effectiveness rate into your middle age years because populations are capable of keeping the disease at bay when children are highly vaccinated because that is when the disease is most likely to occur.

Also, "outbreaks among exclusively vaccinated populations"? What? There are unvaccinated people in every population. And see above, the vaccine is 95% effective. Hopefully you know math more than other sciences and can tell that means 5% of vaccinated children are still at risk. Compare that to approximately 100% of non-vaccinated kids. Because anecdotes are fun, my preemies were exposed to pertussis thanks to an anti-vaxer in my friendship circle. Thank God my kids are vaccinated and did not catch the disease. The only people who did catch it had not been vaccinated. My friend thenceforth flip flopped on her DTaP stance but little good that does for her kid who still has side effects from the disease 3 years later.

Post by origami on Apr 15, 2014 14:58:12 GMT -5

I wish I had a photo of myself awkwardly holding my left arm up. That's my vaccine injury--one that lasts for about 48 hours of mildly uncomfortable stiffness every time I get a typhoid vaccine. I do think I may have a photo of my gingerly doing push ups a few hours after my flu shot this year, you can really tell that I'm favoring my right side.

I would post a photo of typhoid but I think I've already posted enough about diarrhea for today.

Post by msmerymac on Apr 15, 2014 15:01:37 GMT -5

I wish I had a photo of myself awkwardly holding my left arm up. That's my vaccine injury--one that lasts for about 48 hours of mildly uncomfortable stiffness every time I get a typhoid vaccine. I do think I may have a photo of my gingerly doing push ups a few hours after my flu shot this year, you can really tell that I'm favoring my right side.

I would post a photo of typhoid but I think I've already posted enough about diarrhea for today.

They offered me the intradermal flu shot this year instead of the intramuscular one. It was like nothing! No soreness at all. I was so pleased.

Post by origami on Apr 15, 2014 15:11:04 GMT -5

Good point. I'm sure if I just stuff my carry-on luggage with activated charcoal and dehydrated beef liver extracts the typhoid bacteria would flee from my very presence. ETA: ttt I'm sorry you didn't think of this before you subjected your body to torture and poison

Post by shenanigans on Apr 15, 2014 15:20:38 GMT -5

"Despite what you have been told, it takes no credentials, no formal education, and no “M.D” behind your name to take an educated stance on this issue – it only takes a brain…and everybody’s got one"

This is hilarious coming from someone who lied about having credentials.

I mean, this is sort of a major point right? This woman goes trolling around on the internet for.God only knows how many years, lying about being a doctor, lying about being a lawyer, lying about God knows what else in countless blog posts, comments, and self published "articles" and when we finally point out that she is actually breaking the law.by calling herself a doctor, suddenly CREDENTIALS AREN'T IMPORTANT. I feel like Megan's Mind is a strange and confusing place to exist.

She wasn't trolling. She was minding her own beeswax, when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, the big bad internet came to bully her. Per:

My convictions not to vaccinate have been firm for six years now and I was comfortable living a low-profile life and letting other more notable vaccine advocates carry the torch;

Also, is she misinformed about the definition of the word advocate, or am I reading this incorrectly?

Post by jillboston on Apr 15, 2014 15:31:00 GMT -5

I have few regrets in life, but my biggest one that I think about often is my education. I hold the two highest degrees this world has to offer and I have an insane earning potential. After graduating from law school two years ago I finally sought God for his will for my life. He called me into the home. I was six months pregnant and wrestled for weeks with this decision. My education would be wasted, I had accumulated hundreds of thousands of dollars in school debt, we were living on school loans which placed us well below the poverty level, and I had job offers and the potential to make a lot of money. Most importantly, society said I was a somebody. I was successful. I was in the 3% of Americans who hold professional degrees. But I trusted God, and in a leap of faith and humility, decided I would stay at home.

Megan needs to know that a poli. sci degree is *not* one of the highest degrees the world has to offer (coming from the holder of one). Or is that not the other degree she is referring to outside of the law school degree? So far it is pretty clear from this post that she did not in fact ever take the bar so, not an attorney or a lawyer. Just a JD (not that there is anything wrong with that) - but don't say you've passed the bar sweetie if you haven't. It riles up those of us who did.

and:

If you can’t afford to stay at home because of your house or lifestyle…then you sell your house, find a cheap place to rent, buy a reliable, cheap, used car, give up cable, share a cell phone with your husband, (save some money on daycare!), the list goes on. Please, do not tell me that paying your mortgage, utilities, and bills somehow keeps you from being able to raise your children. And maybe I don’t understand, but my husband and I have $500,000 in school loans, have lived on student loans, three times below the poverty level, and even now on one income, struggle each and every paycheck. We’ve lived with no insurance, we’ve lived on food stamps, we’ve gone without. But because this is God’s design and plan for all mothers, he ALWAYS provides. The money is always there and so is the opportunity to sacrifice the “needs” of society. I am also not big on welfare but goodness, if going to one income means you need help for awhile to figure things out, then by all means, get on it!?

$500,000 - yikes! Not sure how you figure out a 1/2 mill in debt but if you do "Dr." Heimer please let us know.

Post by miesl on Apr 15, 2014 15:32:44 GMT -5

Lots of science and math... so I can sum it up: Formaldehyde is in vaccines. It is also in you (your body manufactures it naturally - it's required for amino acid production), in our air, in our food. We also happily and readily break it down.

Based on the data from the CDC schedule and the vax given at 6 mo (max dosing of formaldehyde): Formaldehyde dose = 307.5μgAn apple = 428.4 - 1,516.4μg

"normal, naturally produced blood concentrations are generally about 2-3μg of formaldehyde per gram of blood (or about 2.12-3.18μg/mL)"

Do some math and that 6 month old will get about "160 times less than the total amount their body naturally produces every single day" from the 6 mo. vaccinations.

I'd be more worried about the formaldehyde in the GMO-Free, natural, applesauce when looking strictly at formaldehyde content.

Post by lauriergirl28 on Apr 15, 2014 15:40:25 GMT -5

Lots of science and math... so I can sum it up: Formaldehyde is in vaccines. It is also in you (your body manufactures it naturally - it's required for amino acid production), in our air, in our food. We also happily and readily break it down.

Based on the data from the CDC schedule and the vax given at 6 mo (max dosing of formaldehyde): Formaldehyde dose = 307.5μgAn apple = 428.4 - 1,516.4μg

"normal, naturally produced blood concentrations are generally about 2-3μg of formaldehyde per gram of blood (or about 2.12-3.18μg/mL)"

Do some math and that 6 month old will get about "160 times less than the total amount their body naturally produces every single day" from the 6 mo. vaccinations.

I'd be more worried about the formaldehyde in the GMO-Free, natural, applesauce when looking strictly at formaldehyde content.

Post by emilyj on Apr 15, 2014 15:48:59 GMT -5

"Despite what you have been told, it takes no credentials, no formal education, and no “M.D” behind your name to take an educated stance on this issue – it only takes a brain…and everybody’s got one"

This is hilarious coming from someone who lied about having credentials.

I mean, this is sort of a major point right? This woman goes trolling around on the internet for.God only knows how many years, lying about being a doctor, lying about being a lawyer, lying about God knows what else in countless blog posts, comments, and self published "articles" and when we finally point out that she is actually breaking the law.by calling herself a doctor, suddenly CREDENTIALS AREN'T IMPORTANT. I feel like Megan's Mind is a strange and confusing place to exist.

I feel like at this point we should stop saying she's lying and just start pointing out that Megan Heimer has committed a felony by misrepresenting herself as a doctor.

Post by dawnzersong on Apr 15, 2014 16:05:54 GMT -5

If you can’t afford to stay at home because of your house or lifestyle…then you sell your house, find a cheap place to rent, buy a reliable, cheap, used car, give up cable, share a cell phone with your husband, (save some money on daycare!), the list goes on. Please, do not tell me that paying your mortgage, utilities, and bills somehow keeps you from being able to raise your children. And maybe I don’t understand, but my husband and I have $500,000 in school loans, have lived on student loans, three times below the poverty level, and even now on one income, struggle each and every paycheck. We’ve lived with no insurance, we’ve lived on food stamps, we’ve gone without. But because this is God’s design and plan for all mothers, he ALWAYS provides. The money is always there and so is the opportunity to sacrifice the “needs” of society. I am also not big on welfare but goodness, if going to one income means you need help for awhile to figure things out, then by all means, get on it!?

Oh, that's just too rich. Didn't she just accuse the mean pro-vaccine crowd of starting a Mommy War?